ADULTS who missed out on schooling the first time round have a new chance to study.

Thanks to a government grant of £170,000, Blackpool and the Fylde College is to provide part-time courses for adults who have not studied for years.

The college had to compete with 450 colleges across the county for the grant which was created to widen participation in education.

College principal Reg Chapman commented: "We are delighted with our success as the grant will allow us to recruit several hundred more part-time adults from September.

"The Government funds are targeted on areas where the local people have fewest qualifications.

"In the Fylde area we will be looking especially to provide the chance for residents of central Blackpool and Fleetwood to get a college education."

A basic element is to improve literacy and numeracy skills as national estimates show 20 per cent of adults have problems with reading or using numbers.

The college is to use its Park Road campus, but also plans to run classes at places in the community convenient for local residents.

Mr Chapman said: "We want to encourage more people to learn the basic skills they missed out on at school, taking the classes out of the college environment and into the community will hopefully provide a less intimidating and more relaxed atmosphere for the adults to learn in.

"It is hoped that this will give them the confidence and ability to go on to further courses of study."

The college is also waiting to hear if it has been successful in another bid for running summer schools in literacy and numeracy in central Blackpool.

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